


Intimacy

by Zorua_Illusion



Series: Genyatta Week Summer 2017 [6]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Genyatta Week Summer, give the ace credit for trying pls, i pulled so many cliches in this, some violence but it's not fleshed out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 20:37:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11365185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zorua_Illusion/pseuds/Zorua_Illusion
Summary: Or why "assume" only makes an - well, sort of. Not really, in this case.





	Intimacy

**Author's Note:**

> ... How the hell am I supposed to make this platonic??? Like I get that I toe the line sometimes but goddamn. Uh... done the dancing thing. My Zenyatta finds no point in eating??? Arcade date? Already done too.  
>  Uh.......... roll with it.  
> FINE. I’M CHEESY AS HELL. I ACCEPT IT. I ACCEPT MY FATE.

The first time it happens is the first time Zenyatta shows up for one of D.Va’s streams. There’s a few exclamations from people who recognize Zenyatta, people who see the similarities between him and Mondatta and start asking questions, and Genji can definitely see that the mods are cracking down hard on a portion of people, but he can’t tell if it’s because of prejudice or people asking something a little too close to home. However, D.Va starts the game quickly and Genji is forced to ignore the chat.

Not that it did him a lot of good. He cursed himself for not remembering that the fastest way to get someone to do something is to tell them not to, or that it’s a bad idea.

So when he comes in third, just barely behind D.Va but miles behind Zenyatta, he’s not surprised. D.Va’s hamming it up for the screen, but he can tell she’s actually a bit amazed and confused at Zenyatta’s skill. They continue the grand prix, though Genji feels as if he’s more fighting with D.Va for second place as opposed to both of them for first.

It’s somewhere in the third race that Zenyatta brings up what the chat is saying.

“Why are there green dragon emotes and yellow balls being repeated?” he asks. D.Va very nearly chokes on air as Genji feels his face heat up under his mask.

Of course his fan base would latch onto Zenyatta. He knows he talks about his master frequently, but he didn’t think it was _that_ often! Of course, it is the Internet, so perhaps he should’ve expected it even if he had only said a passing mention of him. It’s the first time they’ve had a face to put to a name, however, and so of course the chat is excited.

Genji could just do without the shippers. Some are okay, more of asking jokingly and wishing prosperity for them if it is true, but some of them are brutal and Genji can see that in the amount of time outs and temporary bans. He knows a portion of them have to do with those prejudiced against omnics and some are bots, but in his gut he _knows._

D.Va sighs and continues the match. “They ship you,” she says bluntly.

Zenyatta doesn’t falter, but Genji can see the curiosity poking through. “Oh,” Zenyatta says. They don’t really say much for the rest of the race, seemingly focusing on the game.

“I wasn’t aware you had that large of a fan base, Genji,” is what Zenyatta finally says to break the silence.

“I wasn’t, either.”

They don’t really talk about the matter much beyond that.

The second time it happens, it’s a supply run. Genji and Zenyatta are some of the agents who can be tasked with this seeing as neither really has any bounty on their head or paparazzi after them. Out of the two, Zenyatta’s the more likely one to be approached, but there’s this _thing_ about the omnic that prevents any huge PR disasters from happening on errands like this, for which they both are thankful.

That’s not to say slightly awkward situations don’t happen from time to time.

They’re in the grocery store, having a quiet discussion about whether or not to indulge and buy tea that’s better than the Lipton “mix in a bottle and go” packs but is more expensive as well.

Just then, a young woman comes up with a camera in hand.

“Excuse me, but can I take your picture?”

It wasn’t a strange request for Zenyatta to get. For Zenyatta _and_ _Genji_ , however, it was certainly something else.

Zenyatta nodded, and in an attempt to make small talk, asked her “what for?” As she motioned for them to go back to what she’s doing.

“Oh! It’s my final project for photography. I’m trying to make omnics more relatable, and show that they do human-like things, like grocery shopping with their partner.”

Genji once again feels his face flare with her implications. He knows Zenyatta noticed it, but is unsure if the student has.

Zenyatta made his equivalent of a blink – all of his forehead array flashing off and back on as fast as one. “I am afraid we are not together in the way you are implying,” he gently corrected her.

It was her turn to flash red. “O-oh, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have assumed…”

“No harm done. It is a much more polite reaction than we’ve had before,” Zenyatta chuckles. “You are still welcome to take the picture, however, as I do believe friends go grocery shopping as well.”

She smiled. “Thank you!”

“A worthy cause,” Zenyatta says as they return to their positions.

The third time it happens Genji’s expecting it. He would have to, after all – he and Zenyatta are posing as an omnic couple as the rest of the team tries to infiltrate a mob. Compared to the Shimada clan, it’s small fry, but there’s always a bigger fish and the gang’s about to be bought out and they want to know who’s signing the pay check. Talon’s supposed numbers had been off, and Winston was seriously considering the fact that Talon had bought out gangs to act as mercenaries. Genji and Zenyatta are decoys – suspicious but not conspicuously so. They’re armed – as they always are, with Genji’s hidden shuriken and Zenyatta’s (currently dormat) mala – and have coms and a few teammates tailing them from shadows.

They’re on a “date”, currently – finding a small café for Zenyatta to order a coffee (that he cannot taste) and to look, well, like they’re on a date.

Genji’s not sure how to do that, but he knows manners and so uses them. He silently thanks the student that had given him the file for _The Princess Bride_ – Wesley was so in love with Buttercup and it showed, so all he had to do was act like Wesley, right? Right.

It was Zenyatta who entwined their hands, but Genji who threaded their fingers.

It’s the way they talk that really sells it, however. Genji knows he can’t flirt without sounding too much like a playboy, but Zenyatta can nail it and Genji is great at being the flustered boyfriend who’s constantly showered with compliments, because he is. Flustered, that is.

Beyond that, nothing much happens. They exit the establishment and debate on taking the scenic route back, to which they decide to do so. They hear Ana and McCree murmur affirmatives in their coms before they head out.

Of course, it’s never that easy, is it?

Genji hears them first. He’s a highly trained assassin with years worth of experience and they’re overconfident street thugs. He hears the heavy clunks of boots and shoes, hears the light chime of metal as fabric hits it. He hears the whispers – not so much what they’re saying but their presence is enough. He feels them next. Their footsteps are heavy and they are constantly in motion, a disorganized group.

Spontaneous blitz attack is their plan, then. Genji sees an alley and knows that’s where they’re going to be trapped. He squeezes Zenyatta’s hand – unnoticeable to the potential attackers, but Zenyatta knows what it means. Genji takes a sudden turn down the next street.

He honestly shouldn’t have, but Ana confirms she still has sightlines on them from her position and honestly the quiet street is better than an alley. Better chance of people standing up for them, because Genji knows who’s going to be blamed for the fight that breaks out and it won’t be the people with metal bats.

“Watch your back,” Ana tells him right as he hears the _swoosh_ of a bat through air.

He turns, grabs, and twists the bat out of the hands of the would-be attacker, letting it sail onto the street away from the fight. The spot where he grabbed is now rumpled – he had been hoping that one of them would get the hint, but they are not the brightest light bulbs in the box. They look a little scared though.

 _Good,_ the vindictive part of Genji unfurls, _let them._

But it has never served him well before.

“Please do not. It is a beautiful day. Surely it should not be ruined by this,” Genji asks, gesturing at the bat. It’s the first look he’s gotten at the attackers.

Five of them. Four noticeably armed. Ana whispers in his ear that the one in the pink skirt has electricity on her hands – probably brass knuckles. He and Zenyatta have to be extra wary of her, he knows. He also knows that should Ana join the fight (plausible but not entirely likely), the girl will be shot with a sleep dart first. He signals his understanding, and then the true fight begins.

It’s hardly even a skirmish. Zenyatta and Genji both have them all dispatched and disarmed in less than a minute.

“My friends, it is not necessary to fight. We have no desire to harm you, but we have no desire to be harmed ourselves. Would you come with us and discuss the doubts that plague you?” Zenyatta asks. None of the attackers were harmed apart from some bruises they may develop from where their swings were misjudged.

Instead, they all flee, one of them hissing something about screws, bolts, and pistons that Genji _thinks_ was intended to be a lewd insult but landed on confusing.

Genji sighs. Athena confirms in his ear that no police have been called, and Genji’s not sure how to feel about that so he just. Doesn’t. Chooses to store it away for later where he and Zenyatta can speak more openly to one another. The two turn and head back down the street to the park they had decided on visiting earlier.

They had a job to do, after all. Genji will sort out his feelings later.

Hand in hand, they make their way.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun Fact 1: This actually covers a bit of my feelings on shipping. I mean, fictional characters are one thing. They’re fictional, and with the way fanfiction is nowadays, kind of like Lego Kits. You’re given a set of blocks to play with but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go with the instruction booklet. Shipping actual people is creepy to me. I’ve seen how people act with their ships – please, I was in the A:TLA fandom when the Kataang/Zutara war was actually a big deal – and just imposing that behavior on actual people is… ugh.  
> Fun Fact 2: I don’t actually have an insult with screws, bolts, and pistons, though I imagine someone out there does. The premise of the insult is actually based on some customer in my line who I think insulted me. He failed horrifically, seeing as me and three other cashiers were confused as to his purpose.  
> Fun Fact 3: This fight scene was sort of intentionally supposed to be super lame. Because, as mentioned, street thugs versus highly trained assassin and cyber monk who have years worth of experience both separate and together. It’s not a fair fight, even with numbers. Ana wasn’t going to even be mentioned here, let alone be in the fight. My excuse? Way. Too. Conspicuous. She doesn’t want to give away who’s watching over Genji and Zenyatta. Also, McCree had to take the long way round, but he got there in time for the fight.  
> Fun Fact 4: McCree tailed Zenyatta, Ana tailed Genji in case the two separated. Kept the teams balanced – one to heal, one to attack/defend. Which is why Genji almost never hears McCree, because they kept to their channels.  
> Fun Fact 5: So as you can probably tell by the beginning note, I have no idea how to write platonic intimacy without repeating myself. If you want to see some of my better ideas, check out Building Bridges. The take I took on this was “mistaking intimacy for romance”, which isn’t always the case.  
> Fun Fact 6: Completed at 2:38 am on July 1 after a nine-hour shift and having to start another one in a little over six hours.


End file.
